


Breaking Up

by SailorChibi



Series: west coast avengers [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age Play, Baby!Tony, Bathing, Canon-Typical Violence, Crying, Cuddling, Daddy!Steve, De-Aged Bucky Barnes, De-Aged Steve Rogers, Diapers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Infantilism, Insecurity, Little Headspace, Little!Tony, Multi, Nightmares, Pacifiers, Panic Attacks, Polyamory, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, Self-Esteem Issues, Stress, Threesome - M/M/M, Tony is insecure, bottles, breaking apart the team, but only on video, daddy!Bucky, iron man yes tony stark not recommended, non sexual age play, non sexual infantilism, platonic sleeping together, post-age regression/de-ageing, recuperation from stress, secret age playing, shield does not approve of tony stark, steve and bucky don't care, they will protect tony to the death, unsupportive team, washing, west coast avengers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-10-31 05:27:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10892643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: Tony doesn't want to go back to New York. He can't face the rest of the team. Fortunately, this time he has Bucky and Steve for support: Steve isn't scared to tell SHIELD where to go, and Bucky has a few words for Natasha.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am excited about this one. I always said I'd come back, and I'm super happy someone commissioned me so it could happen much earlier than I'd planned!
> 
> Solnishka = little sun

Steve was snoring and Bucky had rolled over onto his back. Tony took that as a sign it was okay for him to move. He slithered down to the bottom of the bed, moving as quickly as possible, until his feet met the floor. He stood up and glanced over his shoulder. Neither supersoldier had moved. Reassured that he'd successfully made his getaway, he grabbed the closest item of clothing and toddled out of the room and down the hall, all the way out into the living room. The balcony doors were still open from when he and Bucky had been sitting outside earlier; Tony slid the sweatshirt over his head and stepped out onto the balcony again, looking out at the water.

The past three days had been a little bit of a blur. It had been a while since Tony had gone that deeply into his headspace. Of course, the fact that Bucky and Steve were tripping all over themselves to do everything for him had helped with that. This was really the first time that Tony felt capable of being an adult again. And even now, as he leaned against the railing, he still didn't feel very big. Because being big meant that he had to deal with some equally big problems, and he really just wanted to hide away from all that.

But he couldn't.

"J?" he whispered, the syllable almost lost beneath the sound of the waves.

"Yes sir?" JARVIS said immediately.

Tony hugged himself, brushing his thumb across his bottom lip. "What's happening in New York?"

JARVIS actually hesitated, which was unusual for him. "Sir, if you're looking for an update on the team, might I suggest that you allow me to awaken Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes?"

"No!" Tony said quickly. He had been a lot of work over the past three days. Bucky and Steve deserved the chance to rest. "Just give me the bare bones version. Is Pepper really mad at me for taking off?"

"Miss Potts indicated frustration at first, but I took the liberty of explaining that there had been an altercation with the team. She requests that you call her as soon as you can," JARVIS said. "As for the others, there is not much new to report. Dr. Banner and Prince Thor have been spending large amounts of time outside of the tower."

"Thanks for dealing with Pep," Tony said. He was half-tempted to ask about the other members of the team since their absence was a glaring omission in JARVIS's report, but his stomach churned at the thought of what JARVIS might say. He couldn't stop remembering the look Natasha had given him right before he fled the kitchen or the derision in Clint's voice. Even Coulson had been so fed up with him. SHIELD had always thought poorly of him, and Tony had proven every one of their doubts and suspicions correct with his behavior.

"You are most welcome, Sir. If I may ask... do you intend to return to New York?"

Go back. Tony slid his thumb into his mouth, breath hitching. His chest tightened with panic at the thought of facing them again. He was certain that all of them would mock him endlessly for running away. For making Steve and Bucky chase him across the country after the two of them had been de-aged for a week. He wasn't sure that he could do it. Even Bruce had scolded him for trying to shirk his duties, so he doubted Bruce would be happy to see him. And they'd probably even gotten Thor to come around to their way of thinking. 

"Sir? You are crying."

With a start, Tony realized JARVIS was right. Disgusted, he pulled his thumb from his mouth and wiped at his face. "I don't know. I haven't talked to Steve or Bucky yet. New York is their home." He didn't know what he would do if they wanted to return. Tony didn't want to go, but his boyfriends were everything to him. He'd come perilously close to losing them once; he considered it sheer luck that they'd come after him instead of seeing things the way the other Avengers did. It would ruin him to lose them, so he didn't really have much of a choice in the matter.

"I can arrange to have everything shipped to you within a day, if that's what you need," JARVIS said. 

"Hold off. It's not just my decision to make." Tony wiped his face again and sat down, his back to the railing. The sweatshirt he'd grabbed belonged to Steve. It was way too big on him, large in the shoulders and long enough that it covered his diaper, and the sleeves fell over his hands. It smelled pleasantly of Steve's cologne since it hadn't been washed. He pressed his mouth and nose against the fabric, trying to calm down.

"Since you would prefer I didn't wake the sergeant or captain, shall I call Colonel Rhodes instead?"

Oh. Tony blinked wetly. He hadn't talked to Rhodey in over a month. "Please," he said in a small voice.

"As you wish, Sir." There was a pause following that; JARVIS never made Tony listen to the dial tone or ringing, and Tony loved him for that. Then there was a soft click that indicated the call had gone through.

"Hello? Tones? What's wrong?" Rhodey's familiar voice filled the balcony. Tony exhaled shakily and stuck his leg out, catching the edge of the door with his big toe and pushing it most of the way shut. Supersoldier hearing could be pretty sensitive.

Then he said, "Why do you assume something's wrong, Platypus?"

"Because it's not 3am. I can count on one hand the number of times you've called me at a reasonable time," Rhodey said dryly. "And - wait, are you crying? Tony?" There was genuine panic in his voice now. Tony might have been crying a little. He had to clear his throat several times before he could speak.

"I had a fight with the team."

"A fight with the team? With your team? I'll kill them."

Tony had to smile a little. "You can't kill them."

"I can try," Rhodey said. "What did they do?"

"Steve and Bucky got de-aged," Tony said. "They were just kids, maybe about five years old. They didn't remember anything. Fury decided" he swallowed again "that I should be the one to take care of them, since they're my partners. No one else would help me." The quivery words sounded ludicrous to anyone who wasn't an Avenger or a close friend or family member of one. Clint had often proclaimed that one of them needed to start writing books based on the weird shit that they had to put up with.

"Those assholes," Rhodey muttered. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Now, Tony didn't add. "Bucky and Steve are back to normal."

"But?"

Tony's chin wobbled. "Natasha kept threatening me. She said I was taking terrible care of them. And Clint said he thought I did such a horrible job that they should break up with me."

"Oh, Tones," Rhodey said, sighing. "Wait. They didn't, did they?"

"No. I left. I came to Malibu. They followed me. It's okay."

"Good. I'd hate to have to devise a method of killing Captain America, but I'd do it."

Tony smiled again. Rhodey's protectiveness always made him feel better. "They were really mean to me," he said, maybe a little childishly, which was dangerous. Rhodey, for all that he was Tony's oldest and dearest friend, didn't know about the age play. That was a part of his life Tony kept separate. But then again, Rhodey was used to Tony acting like a spoiled child sometimes.

"I'm sorry," Rhodey said, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I wish I could have been there to help. Do you need me to see if I can get a few days off? I can be there by sun-up if you need me."

"No." Tony shook his head, even though Rhodey couldn't see him. "I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine."

"I thought we were a team," Tony admitted. "I thought... I asked them for help. I asked all of them. And they all told me I was being selfish." He'd hated having to swallow his pride and ask in the first place. Had he not been so exhausted, he would've been mortified to have his pleas thrown back in his face like that.

Rhodey cursed again. "It's not selfish to ask for help, Tony. You know that. They were the ones being selfish."

"I was just tired," Tony mumbled. "Supersoldier kids don't sleep much."

"I bet they don't. That must've been really hard."

"It was really, really hard," Tony said, eyes welling up all over again. "They were having nightmares and crying a lot, and they were hoarding food too. I didn't get the chance to sit down for more than a couple of minutes at a time. I never want kids, Rhodey."

"You don't have to have kids if you don't want them," Rhodey said gently. "I think a normal kid would be easier to care for, but no one's going to force your hand one way or the other."

"No kids," Tony muttered, swiping at his eyes with a sleeve. He couldn't handle it. Maybe that did make him selfish, but one week with Bucky and Steve had pushed him beyond his limits. He couldn't imagine signing up for a life-time of that. He'd barely been able to handle a week. Thank god Thor had been able to bring Loki back and force him to undo the spell.

"Will you go back to New York?"

"JARVIS asked me that too. I dunno."

"Do you want to?"

"Not really." Tony hesitated for a few seconds. Rhodey waited patiently. Finally, he whispered, "I think I'm still a consultant. So it's not like the Avengers really need me. I've been telling myself that they did, but clearly they don't think much of me. But I don't want to break up with Bucky and Steve."

"Whoa, hey, no one said anything about breaking up! Maybe they won't want to move back either. If they do, there's always long distance. There are ways to make this work, Tones. Trust me."

"Maybe," Tony said, but he wasn't really convinced. In his mind's eye, he could already see how the conversation would go. Steve would be all torn up between his duty to the Avengers as Captain America and his duty to Tony. And obviously, the clear winner there would be the Avengers because they needed Captain America (unlike Iron Man). As for Bucky, there was no way he would stay behind if Steve was leaving. The two of them were a package deal and had been from day one. That meant Tony would have to decide whether he wanted to stay here or face the team again.

The ache in his throat told him that he wouldn't be able to hold off tears much longer. He said, "I gotta go, honey bear."

"Okay. But promise me you'll talk to Steve and Bucky instead of trying to push them away."

Damn Rhodey for knowing him so well. "I promise," Tony said reluctantly.

"Good. I love you, okay? I'll call you tomorrow. It's gonna be fine."

"Love you too," Tony whispered. He covered his face as he started to cry, knowing that JARVIS would've ended the call before the sounds reached Rhodey's ears, and curled up into a little ball of misery with only the ocean waves and the cries of some seagulls for company.

But not for long. Not five minutes after he'd ended the call with Rhodey, Tony heard the door sliding open. Apparently JARVIS had given him away after all. He didn't look up, but a moment later a warm body settled on the ground beside him. An arm wrapped around his shoulders and tugged him in close. He could tell that it was Bucky from the coolness of the metal hand against his skin when Bucky tugged up the collar of the sweatshirt, and he was embarrassed to admit that his cries became a little louder just from knowing that Bucky was there. 

"Shh, Solnishka," Bucky murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of Tony's head. "Daddy's gone to warm you up a bottle."

"Don't need one," Tony managed to say past a sob, finally uncurling enough to meet Bucky's gaze. The concern and sympathy in Bucky's face were so prominent that it made Tony's heart ache. He leaned forward, greedily stretching his arms out for a hug that Bucky gladly granted.

"JARVIS, please tell Steve to cancel the bottle for now," Bucky said, easily hauling Tony into his lap. "Tell him to bring out a sippy cup of water instead."

"Yes Sergeant Barnes."

In spite of his tears, Tony felt that he was big enough to drink from a normal cup. He didn't argue, though. He just curled in as close as he could, resting his head on Bucky's chest and listening to the familiar thump of his heartbeat. He kept his fingers out of his mouth by curling them into Bucky's hair instead, rubbing the smooth silky locks between his index finger and thumb. Bucky just smiled and tipped his head a little closer for ease of access, both arms wrapped securely around Tony's waist.


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey. What do you say we pick up and go inside?” Bucky said, deliberately keeping his voice soft. He hated to disturb Tony since Tony looked so comfortable curled up on his lap, but the faint shivers wracking through Tony’s body were getting harder to ignore. He waited for Tony to nod before he moved, sliding an arm under Tony’s knees and lifting his weight with ease as he stood.

“I can walk,” Tony said with an adorably affronted look. Bucky couldn’t resist kissing the pout away.

“I know you can, doll,” he murmured against Tony’s lips. “But I like coddling you once in a while. Bear with me, yeah?” 

“All you and Steve have done for the past three days is coddle me,” Tony pointed out. 

As though three days was enough to make up for the past week, never mind Tony’s life. And clearly, they hadn’t been coddling him nearly enough. Bucky found himself thanking every god within hearing distance for JARVIS. The A.I. had woken him and Steve in just enough time for them to make it out to the living room and overhear the last part of Tony’s conversation with Rhodey. Otherwise who knew how long Tony would’ve suffered, wondering when Steve and Bucky were going to leave him?

It had taken every ounce of self-control Bucky possessed to keep himself from going out to Tony immediately. Sometimes Tony liked to be left alone when he was upset, and the presence of someone else served to make him feel worse. When his tears showed no sign of stopping, Bucky couldn’t help himself. Now, seeing the way that Tony nuzzled into him, he was positive he’d made the right choice.

“We were caring for you. Not coddling,” Bucky corrected, pushing open the door with his foot and stepping inside. It wasn’t cold out by any means, but Tony was too thin. He’d lost weight during the past week that he couldn’t afford to lose. They needed to work on getting some meat on his bones. 

“Same difference,” Tony said. 

“I disagree,” Steve said as he walked into the room. He was holding a sippy cup with, Bucky was pleased to see, a smoothie inside. Tony took the cup with another pout, but didn’t argue as he put the spout to his lips. Bucky wouldn’t have said anything since Tony wasn’t in his little headspace right now, but honestly Tony’s hands were shaking badly enough that he probably would’ve spilled anything that didn’t come with a cover.

“You’re all plotting against me,” Tony mumbled, but without any heat. 

“We do have a secret plot to cuddle you to death,” Steve said, dramatically throwing himself down on the couch. “I can’t believe you figured us out.”

Tony rolled his eyes, trying not to smile. “You’re not subtle, Rogers.” He cocked his head at Bucky, who grinned and obligingly dropped him on top of Steve. Steve grunted in surprise, then squeaked as Tony squirmed around to make himself comfortable. Bucky sat down beside them and ended up with Tony’s cold feet in his lap, which he was fine with. He absently covered Tony’s feet with a blanket and decided to jump right in.

“I think I should be the one to go back to New York and pack everything.”

“Are you sure, Buck?” Steve asked, looking concerned. “Natasha won’t let it go that easily, you know.”

Bucky smiled, baring his teeth. “Frankly, Stevie, I hope she doesn’t. I have a lot to say about how she treated our boyfriend. I don’t mind telling SHIELD to fuck off as a whole either, but I had the feeling that was a job you would want.”

“Wait,” Tony burst out. “I’m confused. What?” He was looking back and forth between them. It would’ve been cute had he not looked so bewildered and upset, and had his reaction not been genuine. But it was. Steve and Bucky exchanged glances. Never before had it been so obvious that they had failed in some way if Tony truly believed they would choose the Avengers over him at this point.

“Tony, do you want to go back to New York?” Bucky asked. Point blank. No dancing around. This was too important to mess up.

“I… hadn’t thought about it,” Tony said, which was a blatant lie.

“Yes you have,” Steve said gently. He had an arm draped over Tony’s chest and was tracing circles onto Tony’s stomach. “You can tell us.”

Tony was quiet for so long that Bucky became convinced he wasn’t going to answer at all, but finally Tony whispered, “No.”

“No, you don’t want to go back?” Steve clarified, and Tony nodded miserably. He was chewing his bottom lip in a way that was usually a precursor to a bout of tears. Bucky rubbed his feet comfortingly.

“So we won’t,” he said. “I’ll go back for a day or two to pack our stuff up. You and Steve can stay here. I’ll be back before you know it.”

“But… but the Avengers need you,” Tony said.

“What the Avengers need is to learn how to be a team,” said Steve. “They can do that without us. I’m not prepared to work with anyone who ignores a direct call for help, regardless of their reasoning.”

“But…” Tony was looking increasingly distressed. “You’re Captain America!”

“I’m not the only superhero out there, honey. They’ll figure something out.” Steve hugged him a little tighter. “What they did to you wasn’t okay. It was very upsetting for all of us. Even if I did want to work with them, which I don’t, Bucky and I love you and they hurt you. We would never pick them over you.”

“Besides that,” Bucky added, “it’s not like they cared much about us, either. They ignored your requests for help because they thought that you were just exaggerating… but from what JARVIS tells me, none of them had the foresight to actually check in on things and see if you were telling the truth. For all they knew, Stevie and I could’ve been in real trouble. Little kids don’t exactly have good impulse control.” He grimaced, remembering some of the footage he’d watched. _Super powered_ little kids were a thousand times worse, it turned out.

“Not to mention Fury. He should’ve known better than to just dump everything on you. Your schedule is the fullest out of everyone. You already work close to three full time jobs between Stark Industries, the Avengers and SHIELD. There’s no way you had time to take care of two kids on your own. Especially when you had no idea how quickly Thor would find Loki.” Steve shook his head in disgust. “If Fury cared about anything other than making your life needlessly difficult, he would’ve realized that.”

“And Coulson. He’s supposed to be the team’s handler. It’s very clear that he’s biased. I’m not sure I would trust him to make the right decision out in the field… and I definitely don’t trust any of the others except for maybe Thor,” Bucky said. “Not even Bruce. He might not have said anything about our relationship, but he didn’t help you either.”

Tony’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly. He was clearly overwhelmed. It made Bucky so _angry_ that Tony thought this little of himself, and a glance at Steve told him that Steve was feeling the same way. Tony was one of the most important members of the Avengers, and yet in the span of a week he’d been left with the impression that he was useless. It was infuriating.

“We won’t stop protecting the Earth,” Steve said gently, running his fingers through Tony’s hair, anticipating Tony’s next question. “But we can do it just as well from here as we can from New York. It might even be better, actually. They can cover the east coast and we’ll cover the west coast.”

“Does that sound okay to you?” Bucky asked, looking into Tony’s wide eyes. He didn’t want to do anything that Tony didn’t want. Too many decisions had been made without Tony’s input.

“I… yes?” Tony managed to squeak out finally.

“You don’t sound very sure,” Steve said.

Tony just shook his head and buried his face in Steve’s neck. He couldn’t be coaxed out for anything, whimpering when Steve tried. Steve finally gave up, shrugging his free shoulder at Bucky. “Go,” he mouthed at Bucky, putting one hand to Tony’s back.

Bucky raised his eyebrows, silently asking if Steve was sure. Steve nodded, and Bucky decided to take him at his word. Even if they decided to return to the Avengers in the future, Tony needed, at the very least, some space.

“I’m going to go get your things, baby boy,” Bucky murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of Tony’s head. “I won’t be gone long, I promise.”

He left within the hour, taking the jet and flying back to New York. The long flight gave him time to think about what he wanted to do and say to the rest of the team. By the time he landed the jet on top of _Stark_ Tower, he’d moved past burning anger and straight into cold fury. He left the jet and walked into the tower, almost wishing that someone would be there to greet him so he could punch them. Sadly, the entryway remained empty.

“Where are they, JARVIS?” he asked, making an effort to not sound too pissed. It wasn’t JARVIS’s fault by any stretch.

“Thor and Dr. Banner are not in the tower, Sergeant Barnes,” JARVIS answered. “They left not long after you and Captain Rogers departed. I have not tracked their whereabouts. Agents Barton and Coulson are at SHIELD. Agent Romanov is the only one in the tower. She is currently in the common room swearing at the television.”

“The television?” Bucky repeated.

“She seems most frustrated that it will not turn on.”

In spite of his anger, Bucky smiled. “Oh really?”

“Yes. The other Avengers have been experiencing significant difficulty with the technology in the tower over the past three days,” JARVIS said, all innocence. “I have logged many complaints, including protests over the lack of food delivery, unsuitable water temperatures, and a lack of ventilation. Due to the fact that Sir is no longer in residence, I have not seen fit to offer my aid by pointing out that the tower is in ‘away’ mode, as dictated by Sir when he leaves the premises for any lengthy period of time.”

Bucky grinned outright. Oh hell, how he loved JARVIS. Sounded like the A.I. had been taking a little revenge of his own, while hiding behind the convenient excuse that life in the tower ground to a stop when Tony was gone – even though, when Tony initially left, JARVIS couldn’t have known whether Tony would be gone for two days or two years. Good. Natasha, Clint and Coulson didn’t deserve to be reaping the benefits of the easy life Tony offered.

"Can you start packing up Tony's workshop?" he asked. "I think most of the stuff can be shipped out, but I'd rather take the suit with me. And the 'bots, if you think they can take it. Tony would love to see them."

"I am working on it as we speak," JARVIS replied. "Shall I take you to Sir's floor?"

"No. The common floor, please."

As the elevator doors opened, Bucky was treated to the sight of Natasha losing her temper and chucking the remote against the wall. Both of them watched in silence as plastic, wiring and batteries flew in all directions. Then Natasha straightened up with a faint scoff.

"Come to apologize?"

"God no," Bucky said. "I had the same question for you. I guess that answers it, though."

Natasha stilled. "Come again?"

"You know exactly what I mean. Don't pretend otherwise. I'm not going to fall for it."

Her eyes were dull in the twilight. In flawless Russian, she said, "It amazes me that you can't see through him. You and Steve fawn over him like he is a little boy. You disregard all evidence to the contrary. After everything that you have survived, Tony Stark will be your downfall."

"Then I will gladly die," Bucky said coldly, deliberately answering in English. "But have you ever stopped to think that maybe it's you who can't see the truth? You met him when he was _dying_ , Natasha. You let that, plus a bunch of rumors and gossip, color your perception to this day, and Tony is the one who suffers for it. Fury should never have let you do the report. You were biased from day one."

"I am not biased!" she hissed. 

"Aren't you? Tell me, if you and Coulson had been de-aged and were dumped on Clint, wouldn't you want the rest of the team to offer him support?"

"That's different. Clint would do whatever it took."

"And you think Tony didn't."

"Based on what I saw -"

In the blink of an eye, he was across the room. He took great pleasure in slamming her back against the wall and pressing an arm against her throat. He leaned in close, staring her in the eyes. Bucky could feel the way her pulse had quickened against his wrist, and knew that meant her heart was racing. In spite of that, she betrayed no other sign that she was frightened. Her expression remained composed. 

But it was a bluff. They both knew that if he wanted to kill her, he could. It would be easy to slit her throat and leave her corpse there for JARVIS to dispose of. Just like they both knew that JARVIS would take no steps to stop it. And Natasha, in spite of all her claims otherwise, was just as terrified of dying as everyone else. She was too proud to beg for mercy though, and stared at him in defiant silence.

"What you saw," he whispered, "was a man who turned himself inside out trying to accommodate people who didn't give a fuck about him. I watched the footage. I saw the way you smiled to yourself after Tony left the room. So fucking smug. I bet you thought that for once, you were forcing him to put in an honest day's work."

He leaned against her neck when she went to speak, silencing her. He could feel her throat working as she tried to speak, but he wasn't interesting in hearing her words.

"Tony works harder than any of us. Most nights Steve and I have to drag him to bed, and still he falls asleep mumbling about just one more thing that needs his attention. But I know what you're thinking. That's just the way Tony is. He's a selfish, irresponsible man who likes to be coddled." The red flush in her face she fought to breathe was unattractive. He smiled mockingly.

"Well, let me tell you that you are _wrong_. Tony gave everything to this team. He gave you a roof over your head. He bought you food. Gave you clothing. Built you weapons. He didn't have to do that. All of you seem to think that just because he has money, it's what you're owed. That's a goddamn lie and I'm ashamed I never corrected any of you before now. Tony never asked for _anything_ in return, and none of you gave him anything, either. That didn't stop Tony. When a lesser man would've kicked you all out months ago, Tony kept trying. And you spat in his face. You _disgust_ me."

He kept up the pressure until her lips grew discolored. Then he stepped back, letting her fall. She collapsed in a heap at his feet, gasping quietly for air. Bucky stared down at her and felt nothing but disdain. He had considered Natasha to be a friend once, but no more. No friend of his would willingly hurt someone Bucky loved so much the way that she had. Tony and Steve were everything to him. He'd believed, apparently mistakenly, that Natasha understood that.

"Don't contact Tony again. He's staying in Malibu for a while, and Steve and I are staying with him. Trying to repair the damage _you_ caused. And Natasha."

He waited until she lifted her head and stared at him with spiteful eyes.

"I have a message for you to pass on to Barton and Coulson. If any of you ever hurt him again, I will kill you."

She drew in a breath like she was about to speak, but Bucky didn't want to hear it. He turned on his heel and strode over to the elevator. The doors closed behind him as the elevator began to move. Bucky didn't speak, but he was positive that he wasn't imagining the satisfactory glow coming from JARVIS. It was a cold comfort. He was more preoccupied with wondering how he could have been so wrong about a woman he'd thought was his friend.


	3. Chapter 3

The mansion felt quiet after Bucky left. Too quiet. Steve lifted his head from where it had been resting on Tony’s hair, gaining a grunt of protest from Tony. In spite of everything, Steve had to smile. There had been a time not too long ago when Tony had whined and complained if Steve or Bucky so much as touched a hair on his head, citing the fact that it took “hours of work” to make his hair look just right. It felt like a big accomplishment to know that things had gone in the other direction.

“Tony?” he said, not sure whether he was speaking to his boyfriend or his baby.

“No talking. Sleeping,” Tony said without opening his eyes.

“If you’re talking, you’re not really sleeping.”

Tony sighed and squinted up at him. “I’m _trying_ to sleep,” he clarified.

“I thought you might want to call Pepper.”

“… Oh.” Tony was quiet for a moment, his fingers tightening where he was holding onto Steve’s shirt. “Yeah, we can do that. I guess she should know I’ll be in Malibu for the foreseeable future.”

“That is what you want, right?” Steve asked, eyeing him, but Tony wouldn’t meet his gaze.

“It’s just not what I thought you and Bucky would want,” Tony said finally. “I would go back to New York, Steve. For you.”

How many times was this man going to break his heart? Steve had lost count. He hugged Tony tightly. “I know you would, baby. But the thing is, you don’t have to. You’re in this relationship too. What you want and need matters to us. And don’t,” he added, pressing a finger to Tony’s lips, “give me that bull about how Bucky and I give you too much already. We’ve both told you that we get just as much out of age play as you do, and we're not lying when we saw that. It’s not a sacrifice for us. It never was.”

Tony scowled at him and, out of spite, licked Steve’s finger. Steve rolled his eyes, unaffected because he’d been covered in a lot worse than just some saliva, but removed his finger. Tony said, “I don’t want you to hate it here. You love New York.”

What Steve heard was ‘I don’t want you to come to hate me’, but he chose not to address that without Bucky present. Instead, he just said, “Bucky and I have never lived anywhere but New York. I can honestly say that I have no idea if I’ll like living in California. I know that I like the idea of not having to live through winter.” Because even now, the cold could make his depression flare up like nothing else.

He cupped Tony’s cheek. “How about a trial run? We’ll give it six months. See how it goes. See if the team grovels for forgiveness.”

“I doubt that’s gonna happen.”

Steve had his doubts too. “Pepper, then?”

Tony nodded, huddling a little closer to Steve. Steve pulled the blanket down over Tony’s bare toes and called out, “JARVIS? Put us through to Pepper, please.”

Moments later, Pepper was saying, “Tony? Where are you? Our meeting is supposed to start –”

“I’m in Malibu,” Tony cut in.

Dead silence. Then Pepper said, “What?”

“I got into a fight with the team. I’m not going back to New York. Not for at least six months,” Tony said. 

“Just a minute,” Pepper said. When they heard her voice again, it sounded muffled – like she’d covered the speaker and was talking to someone else. Tony looked at Steve worriedly, but Steve just gave him a squeeze. It probably took more than a minute, closer to five, before Pepper spoke to them again. The background noise had reduced considerably, suggesting that she had changed locations.

“Okay, now tell me what happened,” she said. 

“Bucky and Steve got de-aged and Fury dumped responsibility for them on me.”

“Oh,” Pepper said, very slowly, and a chill ran down Steve’s spine. “He did, did he?”

“Yeah. I’ve been flat-out for the past week trying to wrangle a couple of supersoldier kids. I’m sorry I missed those meetings, Pep.” Tony’s voice quivered a little. Steve stroked his hair soothingly.

“It’s okay. I mean, I wish you’d give me a heads-up, but I can understand why. But how did that turn into you being in Malibu?”

“Natasha, Clint, Coulson and Bruce thought I wasn’t doing a very good job taking care of Steve and Bucky,” Tony replied. 

“Did they help you?” Pepper asked.

“No. They said it was my job. I had one job and I couldn’t do it right, imagine that.” Tony tried to laugh a little, but it sounded forced. His grip on Steve tightened until his knuckles went white as he told Pepper what Natasha, Clint and Coulson had said during that last, awful meeting. Steve couldn’t help hugging him tighter, heart breaking as he saw how genuinely upset Tony was.

When Tony was finished, the only sound in the room was that of Pepper’s breathing. Then she said, “I want to kick them out. Maybe by pushing them all through the window.”

“Pep!”

“The tower is 12% mine and I say they can’t be in my 12%,” Pepper snarled. Steve winced. He kind of pitied the other Avengers. 

“They didn’t – Pepper, you can’t kick them out, they _need_ the tower –”

“12% mine.”

“Pepper,” Tony groaned. 

“Tony,” Pepper mimicked back. “Look, you’ve given those assholes free room and board and they couldn’t even help a teammate? _Three_ teammates? Are you kidding me? No. You’ve been taken advantage of way too many times. You’re a civilian. Fury can’t force you to keep Romanov, Barton or Coulson in the tower. And the same goes for Banner. None of them deserve so much as a cent from you. They can all move back in with SHIELD.”

“But they’re still Avengers,” Tony argued weakly. 

“It’s Stark Tower, not Avengers Tower,” Pepper snapped. “If they can’t appreciate or support you, then they don’t get to reap the benefits of being around you.” 

Tony sighed. “Just… not out the window.”

“I make no promises.” Her voice softened. “I’ll work things out now that you’re in Malibu. I gather Steve and Bucky are staying with you?”

“Yes,” Steve said, “we are.”

“Good. Will that be all, Mr. Stark?”

“That’s all, Ms. Potts,” Tony whispered. Then, once the call had ended, he turned, hiding his face in Steve’s shoulder and shaking. “I’m a terrible person. I couldn’t do it, but I wanted Pepper to kick them out.”

“That doesn’t make you a terrible person, Tony. That makes you human,” said Steve. Wonderfully, heart-breakingly human. He wondered, not for the first time, how many times Tony had been vilified just for being human.

“They’re gonna hate me,” Tony mumbled. “Fury’s gonna hate me.”

Steve had remained quiet during Tony’s talk with Pepper, but now he bared his teeth in a smile. “Leave Fury to _me_.”

Tony lifted his head, eyes narrowed. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I don’t have to. Fury did that for me,” Steve said serenely. He patted Tony’s back. “Do you want to be here for the call, or would you rather I put you down for a nap?”

“… Nap?” Tony said, so hesitantly that it hurt. “I know I should stay for the call, but –”

“Nap it is,” Steve interrupted before Tony could talk himself into changing his mind. Tony didn’t put himself first nearly enough, and frankly this call would probably only upset him more. Besides, if Fury tried to growl or yell or otherwise intimidate Tony, Steve would have to fly back to New York to kill him and that just wouldn’t look good in the eyes of the press – who would probably come down on Tony.

He stood up from the couch, sweeping Tony into his arms. He was familiar enough with Tony’s tells to know that Tony had been teetering on the edge of his headspace for most of the past two hours. Tony squeaked as he was lifted and scrabbled at Steve’s shoulders, not relaxing until Steve brought him in close and let Tony wrap his arms around his neck. Steve shushed him, supporting Tony’s bottom with one hand and patting his back with the other.

“S’okay, baby boy, s’all okay,” he murmured, swaying Tony from side to side. He pushed his nose into Tony’s neck as he walked down the hall to their bedroom, scenting baby powder and shampoo. He loved those smells, and he suspected that Tony found them comforting. 

Tony squirmed as Steve walked past the nursery, only relaxing once they entered the bedroom. They hadn’t even stepped foot in Tony’s nursery over the past few days; both Steve and Bucky were more concerned with being as close to Tony as possible, so letting Tony sleep in the bed instead of his crib hadn’t even been a question. He laid Tony out on their bed, grabbed Tony’s wolf from the top of the bed and pressed the toy into Tony’s arms, letting Tony preoccupy himself with that while he changed Tony’s diaper. Though the diaper Tony had on wasn’t wet, sometimes just the act of changing it helped to soothe Tony into his headspace.

Sure enough, Tony’s eyes were a little hazy when he looked up from his wolf. He silently stretched his arms up towards Steve in a request to be picked up. Steve smiled down at him and pulled the diaper up between his thighs, quickly securing it before scooping Tony up. He pulled the covers back and set Tony down on the bed again, letting him Tony lean against his chest.

It was times like this that Steve really wished he could sing. Bucky had a beautiful voice and knew a slew of Russian and Italian lullabies that almost always had Tony out like a light. Steve, on the other hand, had been compared to a croaking frog in the past. And that was usually the _kindest_ comparison the Howling Commandos had come up with. 

He settled instead for telling Tony a story about Peggy; specifically, about the time that Peggy had saved an entire squadron of men with a pair of heels and a gun. While he spoke, he groped around in the nightstand until he came up with a pacifier, which Tony accepted eagerly. He sucked furiously at first, but gradually his sucks slowed and the time between blinks became longer and longer until his eyes remained shut.

“… and then Peggy told him that he owed her new shoes,” Steve whispered, tenderly running fingers through Tony’s hair. He cupped the back of the baby’s head and eased him down on the bed, sliding free of Tony’s grasp and substituting a pillow in his place. Tony rolled over, flinging one arm across the pillow and cuddling into it.

“Sleep well, sweetheart,” Steve said softly, pulling the covers up over his back. 

He dimmed the lights and then crept out of the room, pausing just long enough to grab the bag containing his suit. He’d been thinking about it while telling Tony the story, and he suspected Fury would be less willing to bullshit Captain America than he would Steve Rogers. Sometimes being a national icon was actually a good thing.

He suited up quickly, leaving his cowl around his shoulders, and walked into Tony’s office. “JARVIS, please get Fury on the screen for me.”

“Certainly, Captain,” JARVIS said, and Steve didn’t think it was his imagination that the A.I. sounded smug.

Steve straightened up, shoulders going back as the screen on the wall went bright. Seconds later, Directory Fury was staring at him. Steve met his gaze evenly, un-intimidated. There was a time when he might’ve been swayed by whatever Fury was about to say, but not today. Tony and Bucky were the most important things in the world as far as Steve was concerned. He was prepared to fight for them.

“Good morning,” Fury said when it became clear Steve wasn’t going to speak first. “I take it this isn’t a social call.”

“You guess correctly. This is a call to official tender the resignation of Captain America, the Winter Solider and Iron Man from the Avengers.”

Fury blinked. “That’s not your call to make, Captain.”

“Actually, it is. I’m not saying that we’re outright refusing to work with SHIELD. Yet,” Steve added. “But frankly, I am not willing to work with a team that I can’t trust, and I know that Tony and Bucky feel the same way.”

“I’m curious to know what has changed your attitude,” Fury said slowly. “Considering you’ve been de-aged for the past week, and then went off grid for three days, I have to wonder if Stark has been –”

“I’d finish that sentence very carefully if I were you,” Steve interrupted. “Tony didn’t tell us anything. JARVIS, on the other hand, allowed Bucky and me unrestricted access to the footage from the tower. Let me tell you what I saw. I saw a team that didn’t give a shit about Bucky or me. I saw a team that didn’t care that they were pushing Tony to a breakdown.” He held up a hand when Fury went to speak. “I saw a team that bullied a man who was trying his best. I saw a team that cared more about proving a point, which is a point I vehemently disagree with, than they did about actually being a team.”

“And what point would that be?”

“That Tony Stark is not a good man,” Steve said bluntly. “That he’s not worthy of being an Avenger, or worthy of being with me and Bucky.”

Fury was quiet for a moment, eye narrowed. “Stark was the best candidate –”

“That’s bullshit and you know it, Director. Tony is the only Avenger with a full-time job outside of the team. You know as well as I do that Natasha and Clint are rarely scouted for missions now because their first priority is the Avengers. Tony, on the other hand, is still the head of R&D for Stark Industries, not to mention he’s responsible for outfitting the team _and_ works as a SHIELD consultant. Anyone else had more time than Tony did.”

“He’s your partner.”

“Bucky and I didn’t know that. We didn’t know Tony from a hole in the ground. You could’ve assigned anyone. Instead, you all decided to leave an already overworked person in charge of two five-year-old super soldiers.” Even saying it out loud made it sound ludicrous. 

“If it was so terrible, then why didn’t Stark ask for help?” Fury said. 

“He tried. The team refused.” Steve was glad his hands were hidden beneath the desk, because they were shaking with anger. “Even leaving Tony out of it, Bruce, Natasha, Clint and Coulson never once lifted a finger to help or do anything to take care of Bucky and me. They dumped all of the responsibility on Tony’s shoulders – a man, I will point out, who has no experience with _normal_ children – and then chastised and mocked him when he failed. Not once did they actually step in. 

“So tell me, how am I supposed to trust any of them in the field? How do I know that Bruce won’t decide the Hulk is too dangerous and run instead of fighting? How do I know that Natasha won’t decide I was doing a crappy job in the middle of a fight and turn on me? How do I know that Clint won’t decide Bucky’s not worth it and stop covering him? How do I know that Coulson can be objective as our handler? He’s clearly biased against Tony, so how do I know he’s not deliberately placing Tony in danger?”

“SHIELD agents are trained to work with anyone, regardless of personality clash.”

Steve laughed. He couldn’t help it. “That’s your answer?” he said incredulously. “I just have to blithely trust that their training will kick in? I don’t think so. If half the team can’t support the other half in something so mundane as baby-sitting, I don’t see how I’m supposed to trust them out on the field. And that is why I won’t.”

“Captain –”

“I’ll send you some of the footage,” Steve said, cutting him off again. He didn’t want to hear any excuses. “You can see for yourself how well your training works. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.”

“You can’t just –” Fury started, but Steve was done. He lifted a hand and JARVIS, bless him, immediately cut the feed.

Steve sat there for a moment, trying to get himself under control, but the anger running through him was too strong to be contained. He stood up and left the room, heading for the gym. He needed to punch something, and since Fury and the rest of the team was on the other side of the country, a punching bag would have to do.


	4. Chapter 4

Steve was standing at the counter poking at garlic when Bucky returned. Tony was sitting at the kitchen table, half-heartedly flipping through some forms that Pepper had forwarded to him. Both of them looked up at the sound of a door open and closing somewhere in the mansion, but Bucky appeared in the doorway before either one of them could move. Steve tensed a little, his grip on the spatula tightening, as he recognized the expression on Bucky’s face.

This wasn’t the Winter Soldier exactly, but close. Closer than he felt comfortable confronting when Tony was in the same room without the armor. He was trying to figure out how best to respond when Tony stood up. He rounded the table and walked straight over to Bucky, arms outstretched for a hug. He was in Bucky’s personal space and cuddling up to him before Steve could stop him.

Like magic, awareness flickered back into Bucky’s eyes. He lifted both arms and wrapped them around Tony, pressing his face into Tony’s hair. Steve breathed a sigh of relief, turning back to the garlic. No one was better at bringing Bucky back from the brink than Tony was, but every time left Steve feeling tense. Tony was convinced that Bucky would never hurt him, but Steve – and he knew, Bucky – sometimes had his doubts.

“You’re burnin’ the garlic,” Bucky grunted in his ear a moment later. A hard elbow was jabbed into Steve’s side. He yelped but obediently shuffled aside, surrendering the spatula to Bucky. Bucky took it with his free hand, as his metal arm was still securely wrapped around Tony’s shoulders.

“Did things go okay?” Steve asked quietly, watching as Bucky added more butter and then some mushrooms.

“Good enough,” Bucky said. “I had a chat with Romanov.” His lips curled above Tony’s head, a smirk flashing across his face. Steve returned the smirk, knowing that it meant there was a lot more to that statement than Bucky was saying. He’d have to get the rest of the details out of Bucky later. He didn’t think Tony was right in the right frame of mind to hear that stuff right now.

Sure enough, Tony mumbled, “You didn’t hurt her, did you?” into Bucky’s shoulder.

“No, doll. I didn’t hurt her. I just made it very clear that I didn’t find her actions okay, and that we’d be having some chats in the future if she tried to hurt you again.”

“You know, they didn’t actually hurt me,” Tony pointed out. “None of them tried to attack me or anything.”

“Words can be just as bad as fists. Worse sometimes,” Bucky mumbled, tightening his grip around Tony. He looked haunted, just for a moment, and Steve knew that he was thinking about the override codes that Hydra had programmed into his brain. Tony had worked a lot with Stephen Strange and several SHIELD psychiatrists to devise a method of removing those words. Bucky was free of them now, but hearing the specific code was still enough to set off a panic attack.

Tony opened his mouth and then closed it. It was clear he had no answer for that.

“Now you’re the one burning things,” Steve said, hoping to lighten the moment, and was rewarded with Bucky cursing and yanking the pan off the heat. Steve smiled and took the pan from him, dumping the ruined garlic and mushrooms into the trash and deciding that pasta was off the table for the time being. He got Bucky and Tony settled at the table and quickly put together some sandwiches instead. 

“Did you get everything packed up?” Tony asked as Steve joined them.

“Yeah. Everything is on its way here, including your ‘bots. Should arrive no later than Monday.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem, babe. I was happy to do it.”

“I let Fury know that we quit,” Steve added.

“How’d that go?” Bucky asked.

“He was pissed. But I made sure to let him know that his anger should be saved for the rest of the team,” Steve said. “I told him that we’d send along some footage so that he’d see exactly how well Romanov, Barton and Banner were interested in working with you.”

Tony frowned. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

“Why not?” Steve said, surprised.

Tony wouldn’t look at them, instead focused on toying with his food. He hadn’t eaten much, Steve noticed, more occupied with ripping the crusts off and balling them up. He muttered, “What if Fury comes to the same conclusion? Then you’ll look like idiots.”

Steve and Bucky exchanged concerned looks. It was Bucky who finally spoke. “Tony, why aren’t you angrier at the team? Do you even think they did anything wrong?”

Still, Tony refused to look up. He just shrugged, the tips of his ears flushing, which was as good as a no. It killed Steve to see how blasé Tony could be when it came to how people treated him. If this was Rhodey? Pepper? Steve? Bucky? Tony would be foaming at the mouth, kicking the rest of the team out and bringing his full wrath down on them. But because everything had been directed at Tony himself, well. 

Had Steve and Bucky not questioned Tony’s absence when they were returned to normal, Tony probably would’ve taken steps to break up with them before they could break up with him. It was debatable whether he would’ve returned to the team at that point or gone rogue. Steve could all too easily imagine a world where he and Bucky never got the chance to speak to Tony one-on-one again. It gave him chills to know how close they’d come to losing this.

And it made him so _angry_ to know that Tony felt this way because of a lifetime of people telling him that he didn’t matter or that he was worthless. That all that counted was his intelligence or his fame or his money or his inventions. In Tony’s mind, it was a foregone conclusion that the team would eventually react this way because everyone else did aside from a rare few. He probably didn’t even know why Bucky and Steve were still here with him instead of choosing to side with the team.

Someday, Steve promised himself, Tony would be able to see his own self-worth. He’d look back on this moment and know that Barton, Romanov, Banner and Coulson had been assholes who didn’t deserve to be Avengers. He’d understand why Bucky and Steve didn’t want to work with them anymore. He’d see that he was worth the effort and time, or Steve would die trying.

“They were wrong,” Steve said when he thought he could speak without yelling. “And someday, you’ll be able to see that they were wrong. Buck and I aren’t causing a fuss for no reason.”

Tony was quiet for a few seconds, and when he finally spoke he sounded small and sad. “I think I’d like to be little now.” 

“Of course, baby boy. Do you want help?”

“No, I’m fine.” Tony stood up, leaving the mushed remains of his sandwich behind, and wandered away from the table. Though it wasn’t unusual for Tony to want space to slip into his headspace, Steve’s concern only grew as he watched Tony walk down the hall.

“I should’ve just shot them,” Bucky said once the bedroom door shut.

Steve sighed. “Yeah, but then Tony would blame himself. You know he’d find a way.” 

“I know. Still. You should’ve seen her, Steve. She wasn’t sorry at all.” Bucky’s eyes flashed with anger. “She said that you and I fawn over him and we’re too biased to be able to see the truth. I choked her a bit, but I should’ve put a knife to her throat. I hate the effect they have on him.”

“Think about the effect we could have,” Steve said quietly. “That’s what scares me.”

Bucky scowled. “I know. And it only gets worse when you factor in that Natasha thought I was there to grovel. Their opinion of him is so low it’s amazing. I don’t know how we didn’t see it before.”

“Maybe Tony did and he just didn’t say anything.”

They looked at each other. It was hard to think that way about people who, not two weeks ago, had been their closest comrades. Steve would’ve said that Clint was his best friend aside from Bucky, and Bucky and Natasha had been very close. Not to mention Tony and Bruce, the ‘science bros’. In all the conversations he’d had with Clint, Steve couldn’t think of a single time when Clint had made it clear that he thought Tony was such an asshole. 

Maybe there was a reason that Tony had always kept himself a little bit aloof from the team, not joining movie nights or team dinners until Bucky or Steve or, more rarely, Thor retrieved him. Tony had never said anything though. But then, he wouldn’t. That was Tony for you, wanting to be an Avenger and be with his boyfriends and be a part of the team so badly that he was willing to swallow attitude came his way – particularly if he thought it was a foregone conclusion or normal, as Steve suspected he did.

This was a conversation they needed to have with Tony, but not right now. Tony, much as he’d never admit it, was too fragile for that. He was still recovering from the week of next to no sleep and constant wear, for one thing. And he still looked at Steve and Bucky like he thought they’d change their minds and walk out at any second. When he was Little, he barely wanted to let them out of his sight. Speaking of which…

“Finish up. I bet we’ve got a baby boy waiting for us,” Steve said, getting up. “I’ll go check on him.”

He walked down the hall and stood at the door for a moment, listening. When he couldn’t hear anything, he dared to nudge the door open. His heart just about shattered in his chest when he caught sight of Tony. The baby was curled up against Bucky’s pillow, face buried in the fabric. His shoulders were trembling and Steve could now hear him crying softly.

“Tony?” Steve whispered, immediately pushing the door open the rest of the way.

At the sound of his voice, Tony rolled over to look at Steve. His face was red and tear-stained. He let go of the pillow and reached his arms out to Steve. “Dada!”

“Oh, honey.” Steve walked over and scooped him up, hugging Tony tightly. Tony was feeling _really_ little if he was calling Steve ‘Dada’ instead of ‘Daddy’. The more childish moniker never failed to make Steve melt. He cupped a hand over the back of Tony’s neck as Tony started to sob into his shoulder.

Steve rocked him back and forth, letting him cry. A lot had happened during the past day, and he wouldn’t have been surprised if Tony was feeling a little overwhelmed. “It’s okay. Daddy’s here,” he murmured. “Daddy’s gonna get you all cleaned up and ready for some cuddle time on the couch.”

He snagged the diaper bag that had been carelessly tossed in a corner of the room and lifted it onto the bed. They’d purchased a plastic mat that could be laid down in case of leaks a long time ago. He spread it out and then laid Tony down on it. Tony whimpered and tried to cling to him; it was physically painful to see the way Tony reached for him, but Steve grabbed his toy wolf and gave that to Tony instead.

“You need a clean diaper, my sweet boy. Just give me a minute,” he said, unfastening Tony’s jeans and pulling them down. Tony hadn’t changed out of his diaper when he woke up, even though he wasn’t in his headspace anymore. That alone told Steve just how close to the edge that Tony had been walking; normally, Tony couldn’t wait to take his diaper off.

He removed the old diaper and taped on a new one. Tony whined when Steve pulled him up and took off the sweatshirt he was wearing, but it needed to wash. He substituted the sweatshirt with an old, button-up green shirt that he thought might have started off as his, but which Bucky had claimed at some point. He did up the buttons and then picked Tony up.

He left the room and walked back down the hall, gently patting Tony’s bottom with his free hand, to find that Bucky had cleared away the dishes from their meal and was standing at the counter preparing a bottle. Tony stretched a hand towards him. The last of the lingering tension vanished from Bucky’s face as his eyes softened. He reached out and took Tony, pressing a kiss to his head.

“There’s my Solnishka,” he whispered. “What’s the matter? Why all the tears?” He let Tony wrap both arms around his neck and hide in his shoulder. Bucky just patted his back comfortingly as Steve took up the task of finishing the bottle.

As promised, the three of them sat down on the couch together. Steve opened the balcony doors to let some fresh air in, then grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch. He spread it out across Bucky and Tony and then sat, scooting up against Bucky’s side. He wasn’t surprised when a set of small feet landed in his lap a moment later – literally, Tony had the smallest feet of any man that Steve had ever known. He thought it was adorable, even if Tony usually got all embarrassed when any attention was paid to them.

There were still tears rolling down Tony’s cheeks, but at least he wasn’t crying anymore. He stubbornly refused the nipple of the bottle that Bucky offered to him, so Steve got a little devious: he tickled the bottom of Tony’s right foot. The baby let out an offended squeak and jerked in surprise. Bucky seized his opportunity and slid the nipple into Tony’s mouth, giving the bottle a gentle squeeze so that Tony could taste the milk.

Tony pouted but began to suck, drinking greedily from the bottle. Steve wasn’t surprised. Tony had eaten next to nothing all day. He settled in next to Bucky and took Tony’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Bucky shifted Tony a little and then started to sing. His voice was soothing and familiar, beckoning back many nights where Steve had fallen asleep just like this. He settled his head on Bucky’s shoulder to listen.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


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